God's Love... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ *~* Please Consider Giving To ShangralaFamilyFun.com The cost of the website has gone up dramatically due to the ever increasingly wonderful pages and photos being added each week to entertain you and our fellow Christian families. While the ads on the website do help, I don't want to drag the site down with tons of them to pay for it. I need your help! * * *%%* ,,,,, *%%* *%%%%%* W*W*W*W *%%%%%* *%%%%%%%* {//"\\}*%%%%%%%* *%%%%%%%%%*{{/6.6\}}*%%%%%%%%%* *%%%%%%%%%%%*{{( = )}}*%%%%%%%%%%%* *%%%%%%%%%%%%*}}}}) ({{{{*%%%%%%%%%%%%* *%%%%%%%%%%%* {{{{ }}}} *%%%%%%%%%%%* *%%%%%%%%%* We are each of us *%%%%%%%%%* *%%%%%* angels with only one wing*%%%%%* jgs *%%* And we can only fly *%%* * embracing each other. * -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, the easiest way to do that is through online giving. It is easy to use, and most of all, it is secure. Please visit the site, scroll down and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL form page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS YOU MOST ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND For Google Plus Users: You can find me here... Shangy Bigham https://plus.google.com/106648555948034085752/posts AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This sizzling hot new page is from our friend PatDeE. It carries a double punch of fun especially for those who love the old time celebrities and old time cars! Stars back then had lots of good character and were ones we could find much to admire and pattern ourselves after. And just like the celebrities, the cars back then were full of character too! Be sure to check this one out here... G __ \\ ,,)_ \'-\( / \ | ,\ \|_/\\ / _ '.D / / \ | /_\ /_\ snd '- '- Old Stars And Their Cars http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/starscars.html --- ...Wow! What an awesome historic one! Thanks PatDeE! -<>- *~* We Had A Stupendous Month Last Month Of Caring And Sharing! clap clap Clap clap clap clap clap clap Clap clap clap clap clap , clap clap clap Clap clap clap . \ ` Yea! \ ( (\ ) / Praise God! ` ` / _\ / \(") ___ .- )=| (` ') ' _ /'| |-n___n ' (/\| a:f____________|_L___J__ < L _______________________ ~I Am Pleased To Announce That We Added 2 New Shangrala Angels~ * Kathy M from West Haven, CT * Sheila S from Kansas City, KS They stepped up and gave a generous donation in March to help keep Shangrala Alive! They are indeed Our Very Sweet Angels! May God Bless Them Through Jesus Christ For Their Giving Heart! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: .=., ;c =\ __| _/ .'-'-._/-'-._ /.. ____ \ /' _ [<_->] ) \ ( / \--\_>/-/'._ ) \-;_/\__;__/ _/ _/ '._}|==o==\{_\/ / /-._.--\ \_ // / /| \ \ \ / | | | \; | \ \ / / | :/ \: \ \_\ / | /.'| /: | \ \ | | |--| . |--| \_\ / _/ \ | : | /___--._) \ |_(---'-| >-'-| | '-' snd /_/ \_\ >SIMPLE HEROICS by Joseph Walker It was the simplest of gestures, really. But something about it was terribly poignant and profound -- and instructive to anyone looking for solutions in today's complex world. Sixteen-year-old Brian had been asked to participate in a program at church. Never much one for public speaking, he accepted the invitation apprehensively. His younger sister, Gretchen, knew of his anxiety, and tried to soothe him with some good-natured teasing. "Don't worry about it, Brian," she reminded him more than once. "You can't really disappoint anyone because nobody is expecting much." You know -- the sort of thing you'd expect from a little sister. On the appointed day Brian was in his place wearing his best clothes, a fresh haircut and the most strained smile this side of Miss First Runner-Up. Blame part of that on pre-speech jitters. Blame a little more on the car accident Brian was involved in on the way to church -- not to mention the broken rib he sustained in the collision. "Look at it this way," I whispered to him as the meeting got underway. "The worst thing that could possibly happen has already happened. It's clear sailing from here on in." Well, not quite. When Brian rose to speak, the pocket on his jacket somehow became tangled with the armrest of his chair. The unmistakable ripping sound elicited an audible gasp from the congregation, and brought a pained expression to Brian's mother's face. As Brian turned to see what the ripping was, he lost control of the book he was holding, and it fell on the foot of the woman sitting next to him. The congregation was beginning to titter, and he hadn't said a word. I saw him glance at the door. I'm sure he considered running, and I doubt any would have blamed him. But he bravely made his way to the podium and began to present his message. He was doing a pretty good job, all things considered, when I noticed something unusual -- blood. Dripping from Brian's nose. And not just a little. At first Brian was unaware of what was happening, even though it was painfully obvious to those in the congregation. Then he absently rubbed his nose, and stopped speaking in mid-sentence when he saw the bright crimson fluid that stained his hand. To his credit, he plunged ahead with his remarks, as if he hoped no one would notice the blood running down his face. He tried to disguise his feeble attempts at wiping the blood with his hand, but unfortunately, he only succeeded at making the mess worse. Most in the congregation were transfixed. It was sort of like driving by an accident on the freeway. You didn't want to see it, but you couldn't keep yourself from looking. Then one person decided to stop being a spectator. It wasn't until she had almost made her way to the front of the chapel that I noticed Gretchen. You might expect that a little sister would be taking secret delight in her brother's humiliation, but not this 12-year-old. As Brian continued speaking she walked purposefully up the aisle and directly to his side, a look of sincere concern on her face. She handed him the handkerchief she was carrying and stood there with him, her arm around his waist as he quickly mopped his nose, mouth and chin. When he finished he handed the hankie back to her. She smiled at him, gave him a quick squeeze and returned to her seat. Brian finished his talk, and I'm not the only one in the congregation who thought his performance after the incident was more confident than before. Nor was I alone in feeling that the day's greatest sermon had been preached -- wordlessly -- by his sister. Like I said, Gretchen's gesture wasn't exactly overwhelming. Still, it was heroic in my view, in part because of its simplicity. Gretchen didn't worry about whether or not taking a hankie to her brother in the middle of a church service was appropriate. She didn't form a committee to study her options. She just saw someone who needed help, and she provided it. You don't have to look hard to find everyday parallels, do you? We stumble upon similar situations all the time -- the disoriented tourist on the street, the elderly woman struggling to reach that first step on the bus, the lost child in the department store. Usually it doesn't take much to ease the trauma of the moment -- some pocket change, an outstretched hand, a few kind words or a couple of minutes of time. But too often we choose not to get involved, assuming that others will come along to offer the kindness we keep to ourselves. And usually, others do. It seems there's always a Gretchen around who is willing to step outside herself and do what needs to be done. But the world can always use a few more. Yeah, I know -- there's the risk that our helpful zeal will lead us to say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time. But the way I see it, that risk is worth it -- especially when you consider the prospect of someday being the one who is up there with a bloody nose. And without a Gretchen in sight. -- Joseph Walker =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseAu :) (\ _\_(`\_ `/` _ `/,-'=/` _,'|`._ /' `/` ,-' |||._ `-._ i_i _,-' ,-' || `__ `-._ "=(. .)=" _,-' _,-' --||- (..=`/._ `-/#\ ( i_i ,\ _,-' | )|_|-==` \_)`-/ /v "=(. .)=" ,' ,|/ \ |__||\ //|\\ / / #/ ,/ \ ( ,' ,' ((_.--._)) || )(/|\)' /# ; ,/ #,/v ,' ,' |`- -' ||/ (/\\ / #; ,/# ,/ ,' ' / | \ */"-._ |/ _____,-''"/_)/__ / ,',---|((_.--._(__/ _.--""_____)-//_______"-. (,-.)| `- -( _,"_.--"" |||(( __ "-.: ___,/ ;| \ */ _\'_," (\__/) |||\\\ |__`,()() . \ (,_.) (_| (__/,'_,' /_/)=\.\. = |||||| | `( ` ``\|\)\ ( ;.__| _,-'_,' =//. ==> _7)< |||||| |`` , ` * "") ___\ _,--'_,-' //_(7__/) ////\ |||||| |``` \___.--' \_"""_,--' <*)_//'"" )/_/-"""":|||||,""""(("-._/ | """" ) ( _(-' _.---"\___,----. |||||| | ,' "`._ ,(( | ) ( \_/' ,' _"" "_ `.||||| |,"\\'--._) "._ \ \_/<. .>""( ( . .) )|||| |\\ \/,"\\ /`--._) <. .>|_/\| \/ ) \,-( \(||||| | \\)"\\ \) ||_/( ( | |\/ /, \ \ )\\(:|||||,()""""-.:| | \ `-\ | |__\/, :`/-`._____,-""_,' ctr:| |"""\___,""""""""""""""\(_,( (__,-"||---""""""; \---""""---------""""""""````/////))----""""/ ~~~\ ~///////~ ~/~~~~~ \ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ /~~~~/ ~~/ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Occupy Til I Come [Edited} "When God was ready to judge the world with a flood, He came to Noah. When He desired to build a nation for Himself, He turned to Abraham. When He heard His children groaning under Egyptian bondage, He appeared in a burning bush to Moses. They were three of the most ordinary of men. But God had work to do, and He knew just who to do it with. God has always given His people assignments that are too big for them to handle alone, so that a watching world can see - not what we can do - but what God can do." Occupy Til I Come Luke 19:12-13 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Jesus had been to Jerusalem a number of times, beginning when He was a child. But, this time was different. He would be mocked and rejected, then suffer and die for our sins, the Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world. Because some of His listeners thought the kingdom of God would soon appear, Jesus spoke this parable to them. The meaning is clear. He would soon be leaving for a "far country" and would one day "return." As He departed, He would disperse His resources to His "servants" with a simple command: "Occupy till I come." Thank God for the Lamb Of God, sinless life, vicarious death, and bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is salvation in none other. Today our Lord is seated in at the right hand of God Heaven, but one day He will return. The return of Jesus Christ is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith. Christians in the first century looked for the return of Christ. For two thousand years, believers have anticipated our Lord's return. Paul wrote to Timothy that there was a crown of righteousness laid up for those who "love his appearing" (II Timothy 4:8). Jesus is coming back. All indications show that He could come at any moment. We look forward to our being united with our Lord and loved ones who have gone before. We look forward to being free from this world of sin and our sinful flesh. In the meantime, what should we be doing? The Lord's Word is clear: we are to occupy until He comes. To occupy means "to be busy, to busy ourselves with the responsibilities given to us." Until the Lord Jesus Christ returns, we are to continue to be busy about the business He entrusted to us. He has given each of us gifts and abilities to use for His work. We all do not have the same assignments, but all of us are equipped to serve Him. All are to be busy until He comes. There are many who talk, with apparent interest, in matters concerning the return of Christ; and yet they are not busy serving Him. There are others who served Him at one time, but have ceased to do so, for one reason or another. By the grace of God, we are to obey His command and occupy until He comes. --- ...Excellent Advice. Thanks LouiseAu! Doing the work of our Lord and being pleasing in God's sight should be our primary goal each and every day! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: .---------. _ |:: [-=-] | | | |_________| |~| |_| ,;;;;, I\ ,__ ,;;;, __, ///\\\\\ I |{ / . . \ } / " \\|| I | ) ( _ ) ( \_= _/// I |{___'-. .-'___}\___ )_\ I ||~/,'~~~~~,\~~|'---(( \ I \ // \\ | \ \ \ I \/ // | | /-/ I (/ (/ | |/||\ I | | | | I | | |____/ I :-----_o_-----: || | I | /~~|===|~~\ | (( | jgs I || |===| || ||_/ /^\ "~ '^^^' "" ((__| >Casey By Kati Dori His older brother, Justin, was just getting over chicken pox on Casey's second birthday. Poor Justin missed the party while he was quarantined from the other kids. Casey loved his brother and took each gift he opened upstairs to let Justin play with it. After cutting the cake, Casey took the first piece up to his brother. In fact, he spent most of his birthday going up and down the stairs to Justin's room. Casey had the cutest lisp when he talked, and he stuttered when he was excited. His blond hair lay in wisps across his forehead, and his smile could warm the coldest heart. He was so innocent. No one could have predicted what was about to happen to this precious child. One week following his birthday, Casey was plastered with nasty red spots, and then he spiked a fever. He was flat in bed, unable to keep any food or fluids down, becoming more and more dehydrated every minute. It was a Sunday night and I couldn't break his 105- degree fever. I rushed him to the emergency room. The doctor told me Casey was just going through a normal reaction to chicken pox and sent us home, against my better judgment. The next day, Casey was almost lifeless, and he was admitted to the hospital with severe dehydration and an internal infection from his chicken pox. I sat by my mother, tears flowing down my face, as she lifted my son and all his tubes into my arms. I felt weak and numb all over. Casey briefly opened his eyes, looked into mine and drifted off again. The doctor told us that Casey's chicken pox had caused a poison in his bloodstream and they were unsure what to do, except continue intravenous (IV) fluids and antibiotics, and try to keep his fever under control. The nurses rolled a bed into his room to enable me to stay with him. I was awake all night holding my precious boy. In the morning the doctor came in to check Casey again. Four nurses followed and hooked up more wires to my son. Casey was unresponsive, though everyone tried waking him. I kept looking at the heart monitor which would speed up and slow down, then speed up again. The doctor started making more frequent visits and the nurses were in constantly. Later that evening, the doctor told me Casey was slipping into a coma. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. For the next four days, I never left Casey's side. I didn't even go home to shower and change my clothes. There was just no improvement. Family members drifted in and out. My mother was there most frequently. Every moment of every day I prayed for my son's life and health. The doctors were baffled. No one had ever heard of chicken pox making anyone this desperately ill. I noticed on Friday that the heart monitor kept elevating and not decreasing at all. The doctor was called in immediately. I leaned against the wall in the hallway, emotionally exhausted, as the doctor put his hand on my shoulder. "Lisa," he stated, "Casey's on the verge of heart failure and there's nothing more we can do." I felt my whole body go numb. His voice grew farther away and echoed. "Is there any family you would like to call that's not already here?" The only person I called was my pastor. Then for the next forty-five minutes, I sat in a daze, rocking my son and staring into his blank, pale, yet peaceful face. Pastor George walked into the room. His face was sober, but reassuring. My mother took Casey from me so I could get up and greet George. He reached out and put his arms around me as I quietly trembled and sobbed. George then went to Casey, kneeled down and kissed his forehead. All of our family gathered in a circle with Casey still in my mother's arms. We joined hands and George prayed for Casey's recovery. We continued to pray fervently, and then sat as George comforted us. Twenty minutes later, Casey sneezed. His heart monitor went nuts, and then he opened his eyes for the first time in four days. He smiled and reached up to touch his grandmother's tear-streamed face. My mother nearly screamed with joy. "Hello, my sweet boy!" Casey looked at me. "Mama." He reached his arms out for me. "Hi, my baby boy!" I whispered between sobs of joy and relief. "You were sleeping for a long time." Casey sat up and said, "I'm hungry." His voice was raspy from not speaking for so long. He looked around his room and spotted my half- eaten hoagie. "I want that," he pointed. The doctor stood in the doorway and exclaimed, "Give him whatever he wants. Hey, big guy!" The doctor just shook his head and smiled. "I don't believe this," he said. He stepped over to Casey and listened to his heart. "Perfect! I have never seen anything like this in my entire medical career. His heart rate is perfect." It seemed the entire hospital staff was talking about the miracle which happened before their eyes. Nurses kept coming into Casey's room to say hello and kiss him on the cheek. Two days later, I brought Casey home. Justin was thrilled to see his brother and nearly knocked him down as he came through the door. Casey has his tenth birthday coming up. He gets straight A's in school, and he and Justin are still extremely close. So if anyone ever doubts that God performs miracles, you tell them to see me. -<>- ________ _jgN########Ngg_ _N##N@@"" ""9NN##Np_ d###P N####p "^^" T#### d###P _g###@F _gN##@P gN###F" d###F 0###F 0###F 0###F "NN@' ___ q###r "" >Why Are Things The Way They Are? During my junior year in high school, Mr. Reynolds, my English teacher, handed each student a list of thoughts or statements written by other students, then gave us a creative writing assignment based on one of those thoughts. At 17, I was beginning to wonder about many things, so I chose the statement, "I wonder why things are the way they are?" That night, I wrote down, in the form of a story, all the questions that puzzled me about life. I realized that many of them were hard to answer, and perhaps others could not be answered at all. When I turned in my paper, I was afraid I might fail the assignment because I had not answered the question, "I wonder why things are the way they are?" I had no answers. I had only written questions. The next day Mr. Reynolds called me to the front of the class and asked me to read my story for the other students. He handed me my paper and sat down in the back of the room. The class became quiet as I began to read my story: Mommie, Daddy........ Why? Mommie, why are the roses red? Mommie, why is the grass green and the sky blue? Why does a spider have a web and not a house? Daddy, why can't I play in your toolbox? Teacher, why do I have to read? Mother, why can't I wear lipstick to the dance? Daddy, why can't I stay out until 12:00? The other kids are. Mother, why do you hate me? Daddy, why don't the boys like me? Why do I have to be so skinny? Why do I have braces and wear glasses? Why do I have to be 16? Mom, why do I have to graduate? Dad, why do I have to grow up? Mom, Dad, why do I have to leave? Mom, why don't you write more often? Dad, why do I miss my old friends? Dad, why do you love me so much? Dad, why do you spoil me? Your little girl is growing up. Mom, why don't you visit? Mom, why is it hard to make new friends? Dad, why do I miss being at home? Dad, why does my heart skip a beat when he looks in my eyes? Mom, why do my legs tremble when I hear his voice? Mother, why is being "in love" the greatest feeling in the world? Daddy, why don't you like to be called "Gramps?" Mother, why do my baby's tiny fingers cling so tightly to mine? Mother, why do they have to grow up? Daddy, why do they have to leave? Why do I have to be called "Grannie"? Mommie, Daddy, why did you have to leave me? I need you. Why did my youth slip past me? Why does my face show every smile that I have ever given to a friend or a stranger? Why does my hair glisten a shiny silver? Why do my hands quiver when I bend to pick a flower? Why, God, are the roses red? At the conclusion of my story, my eyes locked with Mr. Reynold's eyes, and I saw a tear slowly sliding down his cheek. It was then I realized that life is not always based on the answers we receive, but also on the questions we ask. - Author Unknown -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: FULL Easter Index!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/easterindex.html Emergency Numbers http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/help.html Are Angels Real? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/angelsreal.html Attitude Is Everything! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/attitude.html God's Little Love Notes! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/notes.html Just Thinking! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thinking.html The Bible! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thebible.html Growing Old! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/growingold.html Old US Cities! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/uscities.html Akiane - Child Prodigy! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/prodigy.html Salvation Mountain! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/salvation.html Inspiring Seniors! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/inspiringseniors.html Beautiful Spilling Flowers! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/spillingflowers.html Spring In The Netherlands! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/netherlands.html -<>- >Please Follow Me On StumbleUpon: http://tinyurl.com/mrrntql -<>- Christian Inspiration http://www.alighthouse.com/inspirational.htm Christian eCards http://www.alighthouse.com/ From Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW): Find Out How Your Members of Congress Stack Up! After analyzing 65 votes in the House of Representatives and 16 votes in the Senate on fiscal issues in the second session of the 114th Congress, CCAGW is ready to tell you how your members of Congress stack up. https://www.ccagwratings.org/ From ReturnToOrder: Since we are quickly approaching Holy Week, I would like to offer you some meditations on the Way of the Cross. These were written by the noted Catholic thinker and man of action, Plinio Correa de Oliveira. And they are arranged in a practical manner, so that there is one meditation for each day over the next two weeks. http://www.returntoorder.org/2017/04/the-way-of-the-cross/ From ManhattanDigest: I urge you, right away, to sign the National Petition to Drop Charges Against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, and urge all of your pro-life friends and family members to do the same. Read full here: http://tinyurl.com/l8rtrzd From VoiceOfMartyrs: Bible Smuggling to Communist China http://tinyurl.com/n2tubpn Bible For Kumar: http://tinyurl.com/m4ykxr5 -<>- >In The News: Heroic Dog Saves Wedding By Tackling Female Suicide Bomber [VIDEO] http://tinyurl.com/l3dgrbk Oregon Photographer Risks Jail Time To Save Dying Baby Bear http://tinyurl.com/nx245cy IRS SCANDAL WIDENS: IRS Officials Admit to Inappropriately Targeting Conservative Groups [VIDEO] http://tinyurl.com/ltsqojs ABC, NBC Cover-Up Revelation Susan Rice Ordered Trump Aides Unmasked, CBS Defends http://em.mrc.org/NB00wRdK0009qLS04L8060Y Rush Limbaugh: Obama ‘weaponized everything’ to destroy Trump http://tinyurl.com/mdbazx5 RED ALERT: SHOCK – Major City Has 423 New Mosques Opened And 500 Churches Closed http://tinyurl.com/lmeh3ld So Much For Women’s Rights Elizabeth Warren! She Pays Female Staffers $20K Less Than Male Staffers http://tinyurl.com/k3aynj3 -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) US IRS: Tax Scams / Consumer Alerts https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts --- ...Great to know! Thanks LouiseAu! Footage of a hippo rescuing a wildebeest calf and a zebra foal from drowning in the strong-flowing Mara River in Tanzania caused a sensation worldwide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaU8dbVgneU&feature=player_embedded You ever have one of those days? The kind where nothing seems to go your way and you just feel low. Sometimes all you need is just a little encouragement. That's why I love this video of Doug the Pug! You have to see how he cheers people up around Nashville. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm1qSFV2klo&feature=player_embedded --- ...Awww, great heartwarming ones! Thanks LouiseAu! -<>- >From Our Friend Melody :) 10 Effortless Ways To Eat More Vegetables Every Day http://tinyurl.com/l8cju66 Harris Whole Health » Recipes! http://www.harriswholehealth.com/novadcmd-resources/recipes Jake's Gluten Free Market http://jakesglutenfreestore.com/ Disney http://tinyurl.com/khhgyfp --- ...Great, Thanks Melody! It seems Disney isn't what it used to be since Walt Disney died. I watch some of their shows for kids and find it totally against Christianity and godly morals. So, we as parents and grandparents now need to screen or get previews of new Disney cartoons, shows or movies to make sure they are actually appropriate for our children to view. Sad. We used to be able to simply trust Disney knowing they had the best interest of our children in mind. Not so much any more. Instead, they have the leftist agenda and their top dollar in mind. Visit Melissa's Online Store You can get anything you want (except for Melissa ) at the online store http://pdhomes.net/mall/babylissa/mySTORES/ISELL4.html ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Linda :) ____ _.' : `._ .-.'`. ; .'`.-. __ / : ___\ ; /___ ; \ __ ,'_ ""--.:__;".-.";: :".-.":__;.--"" _`, :' `.t""--.. '<@.`;_ ',@>` ..--""j.' `; `:-.._J '-.-'L__ `-- ' L_..-;' "-.__ ; .-" "-. : __.-" L ' /.------.\ ' J "-. "--" .-" __.l"-:_JL_;-";.__ .-j/'.; ;"""" / .'\"-. .' /:`. "-.: .-" .'; `. .-" / ; "-. "-..-" .-" : "-. .+"-. : : "-.__.-" ;-._ \ ; \ `.; ; : : "+. ; : ; ; ; : ; : \: ; : ; : ;: ; : : \ ; : ; : ; / :: ; ; : ; : ; : ;: : : ; : ; : : ; : ; ;\ : ; : ; ; ; ; : `."-; : ; : ; / ; ; -: ; : ; : .-" : :\ \ : ; : \.-" : ;`. \ ; : ;.'_..-- / ; : "-. "-: ; :/." .' : \ \ : ;/ __ : \ .-`.\ /t-"" ":-+. : `. .-" `l __/ /`. : ; ; \ ; \ .-" .-"-.-" .' .'j \ / ;/ \ / .-" /. .'.' ;_:' ; :-""-.`./-.' / `.___.' \ `t ._ / bug "-.t-._:' >What is Happiness? A rich man in order to be happy, went on searching for it, traveling different countries. He was still not happy. He chased wine, women and other addictions, but his heart was devoid of happiness. Someone told him that there was happiness in a life of renunciation. So, he decided to try that too. He packed all his wealth, the treasure stored in his house, all diamonds, precious stones, and gold. He took the bundle and placed it at the feet of a yogi and said, `Swamiji! I am placing all my wealth at your feet! I don't need them anymore. I only seek peace of mind and happiness! Where is peace?' saying thus, he fell at the feet of the yogi in total surrender. The yogi did not seem to heed his words at all. He hurriedly opened the bundle and checked the contents. It was full of dazzling diamonds, glittering gold. On viewing these, the yogi tied up the bundle and ran with it. The rich man was extremely shocked. `Oh, no! I have surrendered to a cheat, a pseudo godman! What a blunder!' he thought. His sadness turned into anger and he went behind the yogi in hot pursuit. The yogi was unable to run fast. He went into all the lanes and by-lanes, but finally reached the place from where he had started his run under the tree. The rich man also reached the same place, panting hard. Before he uttered a word, the yogi said, `hey, did you get scared that I would abscond with your wealth? Here, take it! I have no need for it. Keep it for yourself! and returned the bundle to him. The rich man was very happy that he got back his `lost' wealth. `Here is peace', said the yogi. The yogi further added, `You see, all this wealth was with you even before you came here. But you did not derive joy from them. It is the same wealth that is with you now but you have found a great joy in your heart! So where did the happiness come from - from wealth or within you? It is clear from the story that joy and happiness are not outside us. They are within us! The kingdom of heaven is within you, says the Bible. Just like the rich man went roaming around with the bundle of wealth, many of us do not realize the truth. That is the reason why we look up to others for our happiness. When the boss appreciates our work, `Good, you did a fine job!' we literally float. When he utters a word of criticism, all happiness deserts us! So we become a football to be kicked by others. Here are some examples: A drunkard lay down in the street, fully intoxicated and senseless. His friend who happened to come by said to him jokingly, `Hey, I had gone to your house. I found that that your wife has become a widow. So go home and console her!' The drunkard was very upset. `Oh, no!' My wife has become a widow!' He began to cry. `How can your wife become a widow when you are alive?' consoled a passer-by. The drunkard answered, `but my friend told me that my wife has become a widow. He is my close friend and how can I disbelieve him?' the drunkard continued to cry. Our sorrow is similar to that of the drunkard. Even though he experienced sorrow, it was illegitimate as it was born out of ignorance. In each of us there is a drunkard. Many things which are not really true make us miserable. At other times, matters which are of no real significance rob us of our happiness. *** A farmer has a bumper crop of tomatoes in one season. Yet the farmer seemed to be very worried. His neighbors inquired of him the reason for his worry. He replied, `Normally, I feed my pigs with tomatoes.' The neighbors inquired, `'What is the problem? You have a bumper crop this time!' to which the farmer replied, `Yes. I have a bumper crop; but I do not have a single rotten tomato to offer to my pigs. What will I feed them with?' To put it simply, happiness is like a lock, intelligence is like a key. If you turn the key of intelligence in the opposite direction, it would lock up happiness. If you turn it in the right direction, the doors of happiness open! --- ...Great wisdom. Thanks Linda! Attitude is so very important! Eph.6: [12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness from on high. Check out this teaching: The Battlefield is in our Mind: 2 Corinthians 10:5 Take captive every thought / strongholds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCxdxRs5Ibg ================================================================= , __ _.-"` `'-. /||\'._ __{}_( |||| |'--.__\ | L.( ^_\^ \ .-' | _ | | | )\___/ | \-'`:._] jgs \__/; '-. >To Protect and To Serve Story Editor: by Liz Brown Hanelt Susan L. Miller California, USA I live in California, and do a lot of driving on the San Francisco Bay Area freeways. Often I see different local police cars, or those of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) zooming past. Sometimes they're parked by the side of the road where they may have pulled over a motorist; sometimes they're assisting at an accident scene. When I see this, I try to remind myself that the police are meant to be there to help people, to enforce the laws, and to try to keep the public safe. Perhaps because I'm white, middle class, and drive a decent-looking car, I rarely have been subjected to a traffic stop. Yet I often do feel fear in the pit of my stomach when I see the flashing lights of a police car in my rear view mirror. In August of 2011 I was heading home from a visit to my mom, who lives in Sacramento. Driving south down Highway 880 I noticed flashing lights in my rear view mirror. A CHP car was coming up fast on the right, lights and sirens going. I slowed down just in case, as did all the cars around me, to around 50 mph. The CHP officer drove up to just ahead of the pack of cars I was in. Then he did the most extraordinary thing. From the right lane of the freeway he began to zigzag back and forth across all four lanes, at around 60 mph to start with, lights flashing. He repeated this maneuver around 10 times, slowing down slightly with each crossing of the four or five lanes of freeway. This effectively slowed the entire pack of cars, until we were all moving at 20 mph or less. He maintained about a 50-yard lead on the pack, and everyone around me carefully kept that distance. Every car in the pack following him stopped when he pulled up in the number two lane, got out of the car, grabbed a big piece of shredded retread from a semi-truck's tire, and threw it safely onto the edge of the freeway. He got back in his car, door still open, and drove over to the next piece of retread, in the #3 lane, which was small enough that he bent over, picked it up while still seated, and threw it into the driver's side of his car. He repeated doing this, moving from piece to piece, until the hazard was completely cleared. We continued to follow him, very slowly. This entire incident took ten minutes. In today's world, it's hard to keep faith that we're here to take care of each other, and so easy to let cynicism take root. To the CHP officer: Thank you for plunging in to do what had to be done to keep our highways and drivers safer. Thank you for my moment of renewed faith in humanity. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >Dead To Sin, Alive In Christ (By Shon Bruellman) [Edited] One priority Jesus made plain to those who were struggling to understand what it was He expected of them, was that He wanted them to die, and He is expecting all of us here to die too. Their plans; their dreams; their aspirations; their ministries. Our hopes; our desires; our understanding; our wills. All these were and are to be taken to the cemetery where spiritual objectives are resurrected out of lives that no longer hold any right to the ownership of their own fate. Until we die, He does not fully live in us. Until we stop clinging to those old ways, we cannot really come alive in Christ. Paul understood that. That's why he could say, "For me to live is Christ." But precious few really come to that point. The reality of dying to self seems to have been lost in this "me-too" society in which we live. When the flesh cries out for recognition or gratification that is contrary to the Word of God, the cry just plainly needs to be ignored. How can a dead person hear? So the muffled call of the flesh is translated into the language of the Spirit and the Word of God answers instead. That you can hear. You are alive in the Spirit, so when the Spirit calls to you from the Word you immediately respond. This pattern repeats itself over and over until you no longer even mourn the loss of the things you are denied, because they only appeal to dead people, and you're alive in Christ. That's exactly what Paul meant when he said, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live." And that's what Jesus meant when He said in this passage: Jn. 12:24 Verily. verily. I say unto you. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. Jn. 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it: and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal " Jesus is saying that if you really want to be a disciple, you must understand that even nature demonstrates the procedure which precedes the bringing forth of new life. That which represented the old life must die, be buried, and left alone. The `leaving alone' is critical!! Because something new is going to come forth. As a farmer I assure you that if you continually uncover seeds to check on progress...that's what you'll have; only seeds; never growth into plants and fruit. You can't have it both ways. You can't be "dead to self" and still place limits on God about what He can and can't do in your life. You can't he "dead to self" and still cling to habits and desires and appetites that are in disharmony with the principles of Scripture. You no longer even have that option. Men and women, stop acting like it IS an option anymore! People who are dead don't fight change. They can't. That's why Jesus defined dying to self as a matter of love and hate. Love this old life? You'll only lose everything you've given your life for. Hate the old life and what it stands for? Good. What you will gain in the process of choosing you can keep for all eternity. You must literally choose on a minute by minute basis to acknowledge that you are a dead man; so that when the flesh cries out for recognition, you simply choose to ignore the cries of a dead man. Otherwise, you will assume the Christian life is a battle between two equally imposing forces and will spend your life trying to live in both worlds. You cannot do that and live in victory. The only power Satan has is to deceive us into THINKING our desires are `too strong. ' This is sheer nonsense, and by dwelling on this thought we strengthen his grip on our mind. If there is a habit or a thought pattern that has plagued you from your youth, and you constantly have to do battle with those thoughts, remember, a dead man doesn't enjoy those things...and you're dead :) Remember the saying? `Falling is NOT an option!' Therefore, every time those thoughts begin to appear in your mind, you consciously say... "I am crucified with Christ". Self is dead. And dead people can't respond. "Christ is alive, and Christ doesn't enjoy those thoughts; yea, Christ in me hates those thoughts. Therefore, by the power of the holy spirit that dwells within me, I choose to acknowledge that self is dead, and Christ is alive, and those thoughts have no place in my heart." Then you begin to meditate on the Scriptures. It all happens in an instant, but if it happens often enough, it becomes automatic. I can say I have reached this point in my life that when Satan foolishly tempts me I automatically cast the thought aside as `deceitful temptation' and praise my Lord instead. It is so easy once this principle is placed in effect! The choices are made based on God's Word, not on the emotions of a dead man. Self is dead. Leave it alone and buried. Christ is alive. Put on the new man "who after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." SUBSCRIBE INFO Want to receive a Christian inspirational item AND great clean humor in an email to you each day of the week? It's easy and FREE! Read all about Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com ========================================================== >-->From Kidwarmers: >THE FUNNIEST THINGS KIDS SAY |\ /| |\ /| | \ / | |\\ //| | | | | | \| |/ | \ | | / \ || || / \ |_| / \||_||/ .' '. .' '. | | |o o| / \ /= Y =\ `'-. .-'` `'-.^.-'` _| |_ _| |_ /` `\ /` `\ | / \ | | | |/ \| | ( ) | / \ /\ \ / /\ | .-~-. | | '._)_.' | \ { } / \ / jgs \ '-=-' / \ '.___.' / .--' ;---; '--. .--' \---/ '--. `-------' '-------` `-------' '-------` When Karen's two oldest granddaughters were young, they would come to Grandma's house to color Easter Eggs for the Easter Bunny to hide in the night. If it was nice outside, the adults would find their eggs and their own Easter Baskets, too. One year Karen noticed that one of her granddaughters had egg dye all over her face. When they asked her how she got dye on her face, the little girl said said, "I kissed all my eggs!" -- Karen Clark of Princeton, Illinois Faith's grandmother will only buy organic, cage-free eggs. Gramma is visiting, and she took Faith grocery shopping. When she put the eggs in the cart, Faith looked at them and commented, "Gramma, they're not ripe yet. See, they're still brown." -- Debbi Armstrong (mother of Faith) of Orlando, Florida Clarissa loves candy and is always begging for it. One day while they were in the check out line, Clarissa was begging for candy, as usual. The clerk asked her if she wanted all her teeth to rot out. Clarissa, 3, sweetly told the clerk, "They make fake ones now you know!" -- Virginia (mother of Clarissa) of North Dakota A woman JP knew as a child made her granddaughter a new dress for Easter Sunday. She had to hem it at the last minute. The little girl put on her new dress and as they were sitting in church, the little girl felt something in the hem and announced to the whole congregation, "Grandma, there is a thimble in my new dress!" -- JP Hux of North Carolina .-""""--. / ) / --"` / _`:---. | .-' `\ \ / .----'./ \ : ,-' ~(.).)\ \_| \ ._) | / | \.__, / _.--' )`///-,-' / / _| (_\\ | (____/____) \ ___/ | _ `---( ` ) `-, .' (__.'._/'._/ |`| | __/ / / // | `--. || /_____) jgs `=---` Steph was discussing different singing styles with her sister, Carrie. When the subject of a singer who had made a recent television appearance came up, Steph said, "She was REALLY good! She was singing Acapulco (a capella)!" -- Deana (mother of Steph and Carrie) of San Antonio, Texas While listening to the Oldies radio station, Kimmy Ferguson, 7, and her younger brother Gavin Herron, 3, heard the song "Green Tambourine." Gavin tried to sing along but could not pronounce the word tambourine. Kimmy, frustrated by her brother's attempts, yelled out the correct pronunciation. "Kimmy, he doesn't understand what that word means," her mother interrupted. "Gavin, a tambourine is an orange(tangerine)," Kimmy replied knowingly. -- Michelle Herron of Kendallville, Indiana Sean, loves to imitate Elvis Presley. One day, when he was 6, he was attempting to sing "Blue Suede Shoes" but his version was "Bruce Wayne Shoes!" -- Maureen (mother of Sean) of Aurora, Colorado ________________________ / ___ ___ '. |\ .-------|:::/:::|--------; | | |:::|:::| | |\|_ ___ _|:::/:::| __ ____| | __ ___""" """_ ____ __`\ | |\##\\###\\##\\###\\##\\### \ \ \ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \ |\ \||||||||||||||||||||||||||_| | | ;"""""""""""""""""""""""";"| | | |"""""".----------.""""""| | | | | |\ \ | | | | | |-----|\\___________\-| | | jgs | | | | |---------- | \ | | `\| | | | | | `| | \_| | | `\| Justin has a toy piano that he loves to play with. It stopped working one day because the batteries died, so his mother explained to him that they would buy new batteries and then it would work again. A couple of days later they were working on potty training. Justin was trying to be a big boy. When Jennifer asked him if he was finished on the potty, he said, very seriously, "Mom, my butt's not working. I think it needs batteries!" -- Jennifer Brunnemer (mother of Justin) of Klamath Falls, Oregon Matthew, 6, was to receive an award at school. When Miss Tracy asked him what award he would be getting, he said, "I am an achievement!" He received his award of achievement later that day. -- Andrea Blackwell (mother of Matt) of Wake Forest, North Carolina Shandra, 9, and her grandmother were telling Shandra's little brother Craig, 3, about the Easter Bunny. Shandra told Craig that the Easter Bunny lays the eggs and hides them for us to find. Craig's eyes got big as saucers and he whispered in Linda's ear, "Grandma, doesn't that hurt the bunny?" -- Grandma Linda in Ohio _ _(_)_ wWWWw _ @@@@ (_)@(_) vVVVv _ @@@@ (___) _(_)_ @@()@@ wWWWw (_)\ (___) _(_)_ @@()@@ Y (_)@(_) @@@@ (___) `|/ Y (_)@(_) @@@@ \|/ (_)\ / Y \| \|/ /(_) \| |/ | \ | \ |/ | / \ | / \|/ |/ \| \|/ jgs|// \\|/// \\\|//\\\|/// \|/// \\\|// \\|// \\\|// ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ When Don's wife was pregnant with their second child, they were kneeling, working in the flower garden. Their 2-year-old daughter, clad in nothing but a diaper, came toddling up behind them. She placed her tiny hand on her mother's shoulder and her other hand on her father's shoulder and said, "Big ole Mama and little ole Daddy!" -- Don Lee of Fort Mill, South Carolina Note: You are welcomed to use, copy and share these stories, but please reference http://www.funnykids.com as the source. ========================================================== __,,,__ ,-""-,-" "-,-""-, /,-' , .-'-.7.-'-. , '-,\ \( / _ _ \ )/ '-, { (0) (0) } ,-' / > .---. < \ |/ .-' \___/ '-. \| {, / ,_ _, \ ,} \ {, \ / ,} / ',\. '---' ./,' _.-""""""-._ _.-""""""-._ .' `._.` '. _/_ _ \ .'` `\ | | \ / | | | ; | / |_| | \ ;'---' _ ___ _ _ ___ ; '. ; | | / \| || || _| _ ; `-\ | |_ | | || |/ /| _| .' `, `\ |___|\___/ \__/ |___| | \ \ _ _ \ | jgs `\ | | | /` _/ ,-""-. .'`\ | | | /`-,-'` .-""-, / `\.' `\ \___/ /` './` \ ; .--. \ '\ /' / .--. ; | ( \ |, '\ /' | / ) | \ ; } ;\ /; ` { ; / `;\ \ _.-' \ / `-._ / /;` \ \__.' _.-' Y `-._ '.__// '.___,.-' `-.,___.' >-->God's Love It's amazing and incredible, But it's as true as it can be. God loves and understands us all, And that means you and me. His grace is all-sufficient, For both the young and old. For the lonely and the timid, For the brash and for the bold. His love knows no exceptions, So never feel excluded. No matter who or what you are, Your name has been included. And no matter what your past has been, Trust God to understand. And no matter what your problem is, Just place it in His Hand. For in all of our unloveliness, This great God loves us still. He loved us since the world began, And what's more, God always will! © 2000 Thomas Dougherty >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->FULL LENGTH - FREE On line AUDIO MP3 Christian Foundational Class http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=61 NEW LIFE IN CHRIST! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->This is for all you who love food and DARE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? 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